League One boss emerges as odds-on favourite for Ipswich Town job

A general view of the stadium during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Brighton and Hove Albion at Portman Road, Ipswich, England on 27 September 2016.

Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst is now the 1/2 odds-on favourite for the Ipswich Town job on SkyBet.

The 43-year-old has guided the Shrews in the League One Play-Offs this season despite being one of the favourites for relegation at the start of the season. He also got them to the Checkatrade Trophy final last month but they lost to Lincoln City in the final.

Hurst’s achievements have not gone unnoticed and he is now odds-on favourite for the Ipswich Town job. The Tractor Boys are in the hunt for a new manager for next season after Mick McCarthy left them. Other names such as Chris Coleman (8/1), Paul Cook (9/1) and Shefki Kuqi (9/1) are in the running but Hurst is now the clear favourite.

Hurst played for Rotherham United and Burton Albion in his playing days as a left-back. He retired in 2008 and had managerial stints at non-league sides Ilkeston Town and Boston United before moving to Grimsby Town in 2011.

He guided Grimsby Town to promotion to the Football League in 2016 after a Play-Off final win over Forest Green Rovers. He stayed with them for three months in the fourth tier before being lured away from the League Two side to join Shrewsbury.

In his first season at Shrewsbury in the last campaign, Hurst steered them away from relegation danger and made some very shrewd signings last summer by bringing in the likes of Jon Nolan, Stefan Payne and Aristote Nsiala.

Paul Hurst would be a good appointment by Ipswich Town and it would be nice to see a young manager given a chance.